This article is shared with LebTown by content partner Spotlight PA.
By Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA
HARRISBURG — It’s time for Pennsylvania’s 2022 midterm election.
Voters will head to the polls to pick a new governor and U.S. senator, as well as representatives to the U.S. House and lawmakers to serve in the General Assembly. The winners will shape the future of abortion access, energy production, environmental conservation, and other major issues in the state.
Here are answers to some of your most frequently asked questions:
When do polls open for Pennsylvania’s 2022 election?
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. As long as you are in line to vote by 8 p.m., you are entitled to cast a ballot.
Where do I vote?
You can find your polling location here.
Am I registered to vote?
You can check your voter registration here. Search using your name, county, zip code, and birthday, or by entering your driver’s license or PennDOT identification card number.
Can I vote if I forgot to register?
Unfortunately, Oct. 24 was the deadline to register to vote in this election.
Can I vote if my registration is inactive?
Yes! An “inactive” voter is one who hasn’t voted for five years and who hasn’t responded to a county notice about their registration.
If that’s your status, you can still vote on Nov. 8.
Can I vote if I live in a different county?
If you moved within Pennsylvania more than 30 days before an election but did not update your registration, you can vote at the polling place for your old address for one election.
“If you moved to a different county, you need to fill out a form telling us your new address and the county where you moved,” according to the Department of State. “After the election, the county election office for both your old and new addresses will update your voter registration. You will receive a new voter registration card matching your new address.”
Read more in the “If you move” section of the Department of State’s website.
What do I need to bring to vote?
If this is your first time voting or your first time voting since changing addresses, you’ll need to bring proof of identification. This can include any government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport, a utility bill or bank statement that includes your name and address, or a military or student ID. See the full list of options.
I voted by mail. How do I check my ballot has been received?
You can check the status of your mail ballot here.
I still have my mail ballot. How can I return it?
Your county must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Do not put your ballot in the mail; it will not arrive by the deadline.
Instead, drop it off at your county election office or at a satellite location or drop box, if your county offers those options. See a full list of ballot drop-off locations.
Follow all the instructions to make sure your ballot is counted.
I requested a mail ballot but haven’t gotten it. What should I do?
If you have not received your mail ballot, you can still vote in person at your polling location.
A poll worker will offer you a provisional ballot, which will be counted after election officials confirm you did not submit a mail ballot.
I have a mail ballot but don’t want to use it. How can I vote?
Bring all your mail ballot components, including the envelopes, to your polling place and turn them over to poll workers. You’ll be required to sign a form declaring that you haven’t voted by mail. After that, you should be allowed to vote at the precinct.
Read our complete coverage, plus key dates, campaign finance data, sample ballots & more at our Election Center 2022 website.
Spotlight on the Issues: Where Mastriano and Shapiro stand on:
» College Funding & Student Debt
» Abortion, Medicaid, & Opioids
» Rural Health Care & Broadband
» Taxes & Business Regulations
» Election Security & Voting Rights
A complete listing of Spotlight PA voter guides:
» Your complete guide to voting in the Nov. 8 election
» Everything you need to know about mail ballots
» Your complete guide to the candidates for governor
» How to vet the candidates on your midterm ballot
» No constitutional amendments on the ballot, but big ones loom
» How to serve as a poll worker on Nov. 8
» These Pa. voters haven’t missed a Nov. election in 50+ years
» How Spotlight PA will cover Pennsylvania’s 2022 election
En Español:
» Una guía básica para investigar a los candidatos
» Cómo trabajar como trabajador electoral el 8 de noviembre
» Todo lo que necesita saber para votar por correo
» Su guía completa de los candidatos a gobernador
» Una guía completa para las elecciones del 8 de noviembre
WHILE YOU’RE HERE… If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.